Hero
by GirLikeBurritos
Summary: Songfic. Alfred helping his brother deal with the accident and the constant fights.  Warnings in the story.


Warning: Mentions of character death, abusive families, and gore.

I'm really sorry. I just really wanted to write a story with this song since Alfred is always referring to himself as the hero. I was going to do a kickass WW2 story where Alfred goes on some awesome rescue mission and fights against Gilbert, but...the lyrics don't really make you think that. The music does, just not the lyrics. Anyway, enjoy!

_**Line**_

_I'm just a step away_

_I'm just a breath away_

Alfred breathed in the cold night air. He could hear his guardians arguing downstairs. The embers from his cigarette were slowly dying. He grimaced from a particularly loud scream. The American flicked the remains of his cigarette out the window and left the bathroom for the company of his brother.

"Al, they sound really made today." Alfred's brother, a Canadian by the name of Matthew, whispered from his position on his bed. He was trembling like a leaf and held tightly onto his childhood toy. The toy, a once white bear that had greyed from the years, was sagging at some of the seams and just seemed as sad as its owner.

"Don't worry Matt. This'll all just blow over soon and they'll forget why they were mad in the first place." Alfred tried to smile and put on a brave face for his brother, but they both knew that what he had just said was a lie.

"I'm so scared. Their fights are getting worse. It won't be long before they drag us into it." Alfred let his brother's words sink in, a horrible feeling sitting in his stomach. As the older of the two, Alfred had always tried to look out for his brother. But this was just becoming too much.

"If I hadn't...P-Papa and Dad...we wouldn't be here." The younger whispered, his trembling getting worse. The American went to his brother and soothed him. "You know it wasn't anybody's fault. If anyone is to be blamed it's that drunk driver." Matthew buried his head into Alfred's shoulder, grateful for his brother being the stronger of the two.

_Losing my faith today_

_Falling off the edge today_

"I don't care if you hate me, you shouldn't be drinking away our grocery money!" The shrill voice of their female guardian came through the floor crystal clear. They were reaching the point were they started to throw things at the other.

"Can't we do anything? The social worker should be able to do something if we tell him." Alfred had already told and explained the brother's situation to the social worker that had put them in that accursed house. But with the twins so close to their eighteenth birthdays, there wouldn't be much of a point to relocate them.

"At least we have each other." The social worker had told the two how lucky they were to have a couple that was willing to take in both of them, especially since they were only half brothers.

A loud crash was heard from downstairs. Matthew squeezed his eyes shut and clutched tightly onto Alfred. A drunken slur from their male guardian. "It's because of those little assfuckers, is init!"

Alfred felt a pang in his chest. He hated it when people judged him and Matthew because their parents were two males. He would grin and bear it, resisting the urge to punch the homophobe in the face.

_I am just a man_

_Not superhuman_

_I'm not superhuman_

_Someone save me from the hate_

Alfred got up from the bed, locked the door and placed a chair against it. "Let's go to bed." Matthew nodded and scooted over to make room for his brother on the bed. When their guardians got into fights like the one from tonight, which seemed to be happening every night now, the twins would sleep in the same bed, seeking the comfort from something familiar.

xxXxx

The something banged against the door. Alfred was jarred awake from the banging. A look at the clock said that it was 3:27. Alfred sat up, not sure if he should check what the banging was from. After a few moments of silence Alfred started to lie back down when there was another bang against the door followed by what sounded like the smash of a glass bottle. By now the Canadian laying beside Alfred had woken up and was clutching to his brother.

"Open this door, you faggots! I'ma beat yur cock sucking faces til no one can recognize ya!"

_It's just another war_

_Just another family torn_

_Falling from my faith today_

_Just a step from the edge_

_Just another day in the world we live_

With a bang from the drunk male, the door gave a lurch and sent the chair flying back. The door hit the wall and, to the twin's horror, it was stained red. The drunken man held his, now dead, wife's head in his hand, her face greatly bruised and cut up. The man took on look at the brothers sitting up in the bed and became flushed a vibrant red.

"Tch, wasn't bad enough that ya had ta be fags, but will damn ya straight to hell!" With that, the man lunged at Matthew and brought his fist back to deliver a blow. Seeing what he was planning, the American blocked the blow and countered with a punch to the man's stomach. Feeling slow from the alcohol and age, the man grabbed a handful of Alfred's hair as he fell backwards.

"Al!" Matthew screamed, trying to distangle himself from the sheets.

_I need a hero to save me now_

_I need a hero, save me now_

_I need a hero to save my life_

_A hero will save me just in time_

Trying to understand what had just happened, Alfred tried to get up only to have his head slammed against the carpet. Their guardian had sat on Alfred's back, making it impossible to get up from under the man's weight. When his head was brought up, Alfred delivered an elbow to the man's face, feeling his nose break under the pressure. The drunkard clutched at his nose, blood seeping in between his fingers. "Ya fucker!"

_I've gotta fight today_

_To live another day_

_Speaking my mind today_

_My voice will be heard today_

Suddenly, the man fell flat on his face. Behind him stood Matthew, holding one of his hockey sticks. They both stared at each other, letting what had just happened sink in.

"Oh god, what have I done?" The hockey stick fell from his grasp and Matthew's knees went wobbly. Alfred scooted over to his brother just in time to catch him from falling. The Canadian started to cry into his shoulder. Alfred rubbed circles into his brother's back.

"It's alright, Matt. I won't ever let anything happen to you. I won't let them take you away from me."


End file.
